DETROIT -- The good news for Detroit Tigers fans: Miguel Cabrera looked like his old self.

The bad news: Justin Verlander did not.

Cabrera hit a two-run home run and had his 1,500th career hit, but the Chicago White Sox scored five runs off Verlander, including four in the third inning, on the way to an 8-2 victory Friday night against the Tigers.

The loss left the Tigers a game out of first place in the Central Division. The Cleveland Indians are in first after a 6-5 victory Friday night against Baltimore.

"Our ace wasn’t at his best and we didn’t do much with the bats," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "That usually ends up with a loss, and that’s what happened tonight."

Tigers fans held their breath Tuesday night when Cabrera left the All-Star Game after a single at-bat with what was described as a mild oblique strain.

Leyland said Thursday and again Friday afternoon that Cabrera was "fine."

Cabrera also said he felt good a few hours prior to Friday’s game.

Still, the home run likely allowed his teammates and Tigers fans to breathe a bit easier. Cabrera’s swing seemed relatively effortless as he sent a 79-mph curveball from Gavin Floyd an estimated 390 feet to left field for his 1,499th career hit.

"He’s a great player," Leyland said. "There’s no question about that. Great players get a lot of hits, and he’s got more to come. Certainly, he’s one of those guys that you’re thrilled to death to be his manager. He’s a star."

In his next at-bat, with one out in the sixth inning, Cabrera singled to left for his 1,500th hit. He received a long standing ovation from the sellout crowd when the milestone was announced.

"He can carry this team single-handedly if he has to," Verlander said. "Hopefully he gets hot after today and we go on a roll."

Cabrera finished 2-for-3 for his first multi-hit game since June 29. He is batting .314 for the season but was just 5-for-38 (.132) in his 11 games prior to the All-Star break.

Verlander allowed fewer than four earned runs in 19 of his 20 starts before the All-Star break. He allowed fewer than five hits in nine of those starts. But the White Sox had four runs on five hits in the third inning alone Friday night.

Those four runs were the most Verlander had allowed in one inning since April 11, 2010. The White Sox sent nine batters to the plate in the third, the first time a team has batted around against Verlander since Aug. 3, 2009.

"They didn’t hit him particularly hard, obviously," Leyland said. "He was not at the top of his game. He appeared a little sluggish and a couple breaking balls got hit, but other than that he was OK."

The most damaging blow in the third inning was a bases-loaded single with two outs by Adam Dunn, the White Sox designated hitter who entered the game with a .160 average and 117 strikeouts.

"They didn’t hit anything hard," Verlander said. "What do you want? ... That’s kind of the way things go in this game. Guys are going to find holes sometimes. Sometimes it’s just their night. Obviously, I’m extremely disappointed with the results, but I’m not too disappointed with the way I threw the ball."

Dunn, who had one hit in 11 career at-bats against Verlander when he came to bat in the third, hit a ball through the right side of the infield to score two runs and make it 3-0. Carlos Quentin followed with a single to right that made it 4-0.

Magglio Ordonez struck out to open the fourth inning but ended up safe on first when the ball got away from Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Cabrera followed with a home run to left field, his 19th homer of the season, to make it 4-2.

The White Sox added an unearned run in the top of the fifth inning. Juan Pierre reached on an error by Ryan Raburn, then went to third on a double by Alexei Ramirez. Verlander then walked Paul Konerko to load the bases with no outs.

But Verlander allowed only one run before escaping his second bases-loaded jam of the game. With one out, Raburn made a great stop on a hard grounder up the middle, but the Tigers did not have time to turn the double play, which allowed a run to score. That made it 5-2, though the damage would have been worse without the bounce-back play by Raburn.

The White Sox made it 8-2 in the seventh with three runs charged to reliever Omar Oliveros.

Verlander (12-5) allowed five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits and two walks in six innings pitched. He struck out six.

Floyd (7-9) gave up two runs -- one earned -- on six hits and one walk in 7 2/3 innings. Floyd struck out five and now has a 6-1 record in 15 career starts against the Tigers.